This study reports students' perceptions of their school's curriculum, support services, attendance policies, and social-learning climate. The study analyzed the interview responses of a sample of 236 students, administrators, teachers, and counselors at 6 Florida high schools representing a range of graduation rates. The following general…

The Attendance Improvement/Dropout Prevention (AI/DP) Program is a six-component program involving selected high schools, middle schools, elementary schools and nontraditional school settings in New York City. This study of the program included site visits, examination of student records, staff interviews, and analyses of information from the…

This report describes the dropout prevention programs developed by the San Diego City Schools. It begins by outlining the critical components of effective student dropout prevention programs, including student identification, student study team, personalized student action plan, parent support, controlled admissions to alternative programs,…

To improve Chippewa Indian retention in higher education, 277 Indian students, 7 key informants, and 11 service providers were surveyed to determine facilitating factors as well as obstacles. Of the 277 students, 125 responded to the questionnaire. The sample included former college graduates, college dropouts, and current students. Service…

The Learning House Tutorial Center in The Dalles (Oregon) was begun in 1975 as an alternative program for students who had dropped out of the regular educational programs in The Dalles School District and neighboring Chenowith School District. Now serving over 75 students in a downtown location, the center's year-round program includes a summer…

Graduates of Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge (LSU-BR) were assessed in terms of their American College Testing (ACT) program scores and the factors that affect them. All LSU-BR graduates who were awarded the baccalaureate degree during the 1974-75, 1979-80, and 1980-81 academic years were studied. ACT scores were located for 59.1 percent…

This brief focuses on student attrition and retention in the two-year college. An introductory section discusses the definitions of attrition used in studies of student persistence; and how these definitions, which often include students who are actually completers in terms of their own educational goals, may exaggerate attrition rates, which are…

This report focuses on underschooling in the State of New York. The study provides statistics on dropouts, examines students' reasons for leaving school, and analyzes the school histories of dropouts with respect to patterns of disruption, truancy, and academic failure. Suggestions of school administrators and dropouts on how students might be…

After questioning the credential value of the high school diploma at the present time and pointing out the need for considering the multiple psychological and social handicaps of the minority-group school dropout, this conference paper discusses (1) the rentention power of the schools, (2) youth employment, (3) equal job opportunities for Negroes,…

This illustrated handbook was prepared for adult basic education (ABE) coordinators and teachers and is suggested for use in new teacher orientation, in-service education, or as resource material. The ABE concerns of recruitment of adults for programs, retention of students, and rewards for those completing the program are discussed with many "do"…

The purpose of this program, funded under Title I of 1965 Elementary Secondary Act, is to send paraprofessional workers who are familiar with the community into the homes of high school students who show serious problems in school attendance, adjustment, or achievement. The objective is to establish rapport between the school and the parents in…

The use of a comprehensive academic advising program in conjunction with a sustained academic orientation program through the freshman year has resulted in a 13.27 percent increase in the retention rate of high-risk students at a regional campus of Pennsylvania State University. The components of CORE are described. (Author/MLW)

The influence of an intensive two-day orientation to college on freshman voluntary persistence and withdrawal decisions was estimated with an explanatory causal model. Results suggest the major influence of orientation on persistence is indirect, transmitted through positive effects on student social integration and commitment to the institution.…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a variety of academic intervention programs designed to improve the success of "at risk" students at one university. Most programs were designed to either help students in a particular course (such as calculus or chemistry) or in a particular major. The performance benchmark used to assess…

Freshman courses designed to increase the integration of students into college environments and thus decrease attrition rates are described based on a review of current practices of 20 colleges and universities. Core components are informal contact with peers, faculty, and staff; a small group setting; and cognitive and affective learning. (JMF)